The Story of Summit
“The People Who Know Workers’ Comp” ®


Summit entered the world of workers’ compensation insurance as the third-party administrator for several self-insurance funds that were sponsored by trade associations.

After 25 years of growth, evolution and fine-tuning, Summit offers a variety of workers’ compensation products and services to 18,000 employers and self-insured groups in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina and Tennessee.

Following are some of the high points in Summit’s remarkable history...

Autumn 1977 Summit Consulting, Inc. founded by C.C. “Doc” Dockery and
Thomas Petcoff begins to create and administer group workers’ compensation self-insurance programs for trade associations. The company which is recognized as a third-party administrator has three employees, including Dockery and Petcoff.

April 1, 1978 Summit charters its first self-insurance fund Associated Industries of Florida Self Insurers Fund. The fund has 11 charter members and $165,115 in annualized premium.

January 1, 1979 Summit charters the Florida Retail Federation Self Insurers Fund with
23 charter members and $106,275 in annualized premium. The sponsoring association is the Florida Retail Federation.

July 1, 1980 Summit charters the Louisiana Retailers Association Self Insurers Fund with
98 charter members and $189,277 in annualized premium. Summit opens a branch office in Baton Rouge to serve Louisiana clients.

April 1, 1982 Summit charters the Louisiana Employers Safety Association Self Insurers Fund with 21 charter members and $362,000 in annualized premium.

October 16, 1984 Summit merges with Alexander & Alexander Services, Inc., the world’s second-largest insurance-brokerage company. Summit retains its corporate identity. Dockery and Petcoff remain in control of day-to-day operations. Subsidiary Summit Loss Control Services, Inc., is included in the merger. Summit has 90 employees.

April 25, 1986 Summit tops the $100 million mark in total annual standard premiums. More than 160 employees work at Summit.

July 18, 1986 Most Associated Industries of Florida Self Insurers Fund members join the Employers Self Insurers Fund, which is administered by Summit.

January 1, 1987 Dockery and Petcoff retire. William B. Bull becomes Summit’s president and CEO.

January 10, 1989 Summit employs more than 300 people. Office space has grown to more than 40,000 square feet.

January 16, 1989 Summit Claims Management, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Summit Consulting, Inc., is created to manage the Claims Center. Claims work had previously been handled by Adjustco, Inc., an independent company headquartered in San Francisco. Summit redesigns the way claims are handled, including lowering the ratio of cases per adjustor and emphasizing training and continuing education.

February 28, 1992 Summit is purchased from Alexander & Alexander by a group of investors, including several Summit corporate officers. Summit now has 450 employees and manages workers’ comp insurance programs with premiums totaling $250 million.

March 31, 1994 Summit begins offering the first state-approved managed-care arrangement, a network of healthcare providers for employers insured by Summit-administered funds in Florida.

August 11, 1995 Summit is hired to be the administrator of the Kentucky Retail Federation Self Insurers Fund. A Summit office is opened in Lexington. Fund membership is 584. Estimated premium is $1,750,000.

October 13, 1995 Summit adds Bridgefield Casualty Insurance Company to its family of companies. Bridgefield Casualty is a nonassessable stock insurance company offering a full range of workers’ compensation products and services.

January 16, 1996 Summit Holding Southeast, Inc., the parent company of Summit Consulting, is purchased by the Employers Self Insurers Fund for $21 million.

October 2, 1996 The board of trustees of the Employers Self Insurers Fund elects to start converting the fund to a stock insurance company. The process will take several months.

December 6, 1996 Summit Holding Southeast, Inc., announces plans to go public in an $85 million stock offering. Summit would be a holding company for the Employers Self Insurers Fund.

April 16, 1997 The Security and Exchange Commission approves the registration of Summit Holding Southeast, Inc.

May 9, 1997 Members of the Employers Self Insurers Fund ratify the conversion of the fund to a stock insurance company. ESIF becomes Bridgefield Employers Insurance Company on May 28.

January 1998 Summit Consulting, Inc. of Louisiana, a newly created subsidiary of Summit Consulting Inc., will manage all services in Louisiana.

June 30, 1998 Summit’s board enters into an agreement with Liberty Mutual Insurance Company under which Summit will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Liberty. Summit Holding’s stock will no longer be publicly traded.

September 30, 1998 Liberty Mutual’s acquisition of Summit Holding Southeast is finalized.

January 2, 1999 Heritage Summit HealthCare of Florida, Inc.
a member of the Summit family of companies forms its own statewide managed-care network. The network provides medical services for claimants covered through workers’ compensation insurance programs managed by Summit Consulting, Inc.

July 1, 1999 William B. Bull retires after serving as Summit’s president for 12 years, and Ricky T. Hodges is named president and CEO. Summit, which now employs about 500 people, has become Florida’s second-largest workers’ compensation insurance provider.

January 25, 2000 Summit’s Louisiana branch expands the operation of Bridgefield Casualty Insurance Company to Mississippi. Summit Consulting, Inc. of Louisiana is the managing general agent for Bridgefield Casualty in Louisiana and Mississippi.

March 6, 2000 Bridgefield Casualty Insurance Company is approved to write workers’ compensation insurance in Kentucky.

August 2000 Bridgefield Casualty Insurance Company is approved to write workers’ compensation insurance in Georgia.

October 2000 Bridgefield Casualty Insurance Company is approved to write workers’ compensation insurance in Alabama.

October 31, 2000 Summit Holding Southeast, Inc., announces several promotions as part of its expansion plans.
Lynn Houser is named vice president of business development and underwriting.
Dutch Ireland is the new director of business and product development.
Greg Garber, Summit’s new director of Underwriting, now oversees underwriting for Florida and Georgia accounts.
In addition, Summit hires Michael S. Arnold as an agency executive in the Sales department to work with independent insurance agencies throughout Georgia.

March 21, 2001: James Wood is named director of Sales. He works with independent insurance agencies and leads Summit’s Agency Relations team.

April 1, 2001 Summit’s Bridgefield Casualty Insurance Company is approved to write workers’ compensation coverage in Tennessee.

June 21, 2001 Michael S. Arnold is named Southeast Region Branch Manager. He oversees operations in Georgia, Kentucky and Tennessee. Hank Chiles is named Southwest Region Branch Manager. He oversees operations in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.

October 1, 2001: Summit’s Southeast Region office opens in Gainesville, Georgia. Located in the northeast corner of the state, the office is convenient to independent insurance agents in Tennessee and Kentucky as well as Georgia.

October 26, 2001: The trustees of the Florida Retail Federation Self Insurers Fund announce that $1 million in workers’ compensation insurance premium will be returned to qualified members for the 1999 policy period.

November 1, 2001: Summit’s Bridgefield Casualty Insurance Company is approved to begin writing workers’ compensation coverage in South Carolina. The staff in Summit’s regional office in Gainesville, Georgia, will handle insureds and agents in South Carolina.

July 1, 2003: BusinessFirst Insurance Company™ begins writing workers' compensation coverage in Florida. Summit is the managing general agent.